Keep Your Head Up, Little Loki
by amythegirlwhoiswaiting
Summary: Loki agrees to lead Thor and his mortal through the Dark World, but is reminded of a painful memory from his past.


This was written before the new movie came out, but I just had a lot of mommy feels. Mommy feels hurt the worst... T_T

*I do not own Marvel, or Norse mythology, or Loki (most unfortunately)*

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"We need to head that way," Loki told Thor, pointing out the direction across the vast, open plain of Svartalfheim. "Alright," Thor said in reply, but Loki noticed a change in his demeanor. He no longer looked at him with the trusting, foolhardy eyes Loki was used to. Instead, his blue eyes held a hint of distrust, and Loki knew that in the back of Thor's mind, he was wondering if he should even listen to him. Loki knew he deserved it, and yet... He watched Thor walk ahead, extending his arm to shelter the mortal girl who the universe had deemed so important to protect. He followed behind them at a distance, but his eyes widened as he was forcibly reminded of a time in his past that seemed to be echoing back to him right now in the present, with a major difference. A lilting, musical voice echoed in his ears as he remembered it. "Keep your head up, little Loki..."

_"Come on, Thor, come play with us!"_

_"Yeah, Loki will just trick you into getting in trouble. Come with us!"_

_Loki watched with hurt eyes as Thor turned from him to wave at his friends. "I'll be right there!" he laughed. As he started off towards them, he shook his head, looking back at Loki. "They're always joking about you like that!" he said with a big grin and a big laugh before he ran to the other four. Loki watched from a distance as Thor threw his arms around the shoulders of the black-haired Sif and the blonde-headed Fandral while Volstagg laughed heartily and even sourfaced Hogun cracked a grin._

_Loki slowly backed into the shadows, unnoticed, before he turned and started to run. His feet led him to his mother's garden, where he knew she would be. She heard his light footfall in the grass and turned to greet him when she noticed he had tears on his cheeks. Finally reaching her, he hugged onto her legs, crying into her skirts with no explanation for his melancholy. Instantly, she reached down to pull him away only so she could sit down in the grass and pull him into her lap, hugging him comfortingly. He held onto her tightly, sniffling through his tears._

_"Loki, my child, what's the matter?" Frigga asked warmly, stroking his hair. "N-nobody ever wa-wants to play with me!" he choked through his heaving cries, "I j-just want people to l-like me!" Frigga smiled lovingly at him, placing her hand gently on his tear-streaked cheek and wiping his tears away. "But people do like you, Loki. Your father loves you. I know Thor loves you," she listed. "And I love you very much too!" she went on, tickling Loki's stomach, making him laugh a little._

_His mirth didn't last long. Loki looked up at her with wide eyes and a troubled expression. "But you're my family. What about everyone else?" he asked seriously. "Why, Loki," Frigga reprimanded, "You haven't forgotten your friends, have you? What about Balder, and Idunn?" She went on, adopting a teasing tone of voice, "And Sigyn seems to have taken a liking to you..." Loki's cheeks went a little pink at that and he looked away. Frigga hugged him close and said, "People just don't understand sometimes. You may seem different to them, but different isn't bad, Loki. They just need to get to know you, that's all. Once they get to know you like we know you, they'll see the sweet little boy you are!" With that, she kissed his cheek before adding a few more words of encouragement:_

_"Keep your head up, little Loki..."_

Loki kept his eyes trained on Thor and the girl walking ahead of him. He focused on the dull ache in his foot from where he had injured it out of rage not long ago. He tried to take the advice from the voice in his memory, but instead he ducked his head down and pulled his cloak around him against the wind. He'd never felt colder in his life.


End file.
